


It's The Little Things

by Oniku_is_god



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Character Death, Childhood Sweethearts, Fanfiction, Haikyuu - Freeform, Love, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 03:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29253432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oniku_is_god/pseuds/Oniku_is_god
Summary: Tsukishima gave Yamaguchi the life he always wanted. Sometimes it's the little things that count, and for Yamaguchi, they're his entire world.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	It's The Little Things

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry
> 
> Comment if you notice any mistakes so I can fix them! This was really fun to write. I just sorta got the inspiration at 2 am and was like...I really need to write this. Please don't repost this on any other website! My Wattpad is Oniku_is_god, so do not message that account saying it was stolen from here. 
> 
> Not how long, but how well you have lived is the main thing - Seneca

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on freckles, you're so scrawny! Why don't you carry our bags for us!"

I was met by rough nylon to my cheeks, leaving a burning sting across it. Of course, my face already blazed from the tears streaking down my features, but this definitely added to the pain. I had found myself cornered by a group of boys, all bigger and stronger than me. 

I had watched plenty of movies where the main character got bullied, finally having enough, a wave of courage shooting through their body and standing up for themselves.

But, movies always made things easier than they really were, and I quickly realized this, trembling on the ground where I let myself get walked all over. As the fear crept throughout my body, a tall blond boy with glasses and yellow eyes walked past, eyeing us from behind. I looked him into the eyes, locking them for a second before giving me a warm smile. The other boys looked back before his expression changed into one of smugness, glaring daggers into our souls. 

"Pathetic."

And suddenly, the whole world went silent as the branches of the trees shifted against a gust of wind. Pathetic was quite possibly the best word for this situation I was in, therefore there was no way I could retaliate against him. The other boys, clearly angry, chased after him. 

With the clear advantage of height between them, the blond, quite literally, looked down on him and the rest of us. With the obvious fear in their eyes, they quickly grabbed their things, running off to go find someone else to pick on, away from him. As we locked eyes one last time, he turned his back on me, letting me watch him walk away, the newfound peace in my heart fluttering around.

-

"T-thank you for yesterday!"

I bowed down, shocking the blond boy as he walked by. 

"Do I know you?"

I could feel my heart crush in my chest, the realization that I probably made less of an impact on him than he did me. Why would he remember me?

"You helped me yesterday with those bullies s-so I just wanted to say thank you," I quickly acknowledged, peeking back up at him. Now that I could see him closer up, his features were a lot more clear. I noticed his eyes, which instead of being yellow, were dark honey with hints of brown shining behind the blondest eyelashes. He avoided his eyes from me, focusing back on his main goal.

"Don't mention it."

As he turned to walk away, I stopped him once again for just one more request.

"Would you mind if I could know you're name?"

...

"It's Kei Tsukishima."

"I'm Tadashi Yamaguchi. Tsukishima...Tsuk- Oh! Can I call you Tsukki!?" I gasped, grinning from ear to ear.

"No."

"Okay, Tsukki. Nice to meet you!" 

And that was how I made my first friend. Kei Tsukishima. The bravest person I know.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tsukki, can I come over today?"

I walked up behind Tsukki after we had finally gotten out of school, bouncy from it being Friday. Tsukki shrugged his bag onto his shoulders, making his way out the doors and to the sidewalk.

"I don't see why not. Then again, why do you ask? I know you'll come over whether you ask or not."

I giggle, moving up closer to his arm. It seemed like an exaggeration, but he was completely right. I remember the first time I went to his place back in grade school. His mom was so happy that he had finally brought over a friend, rambling on about 'Kei being terrible at making companions.' while Tsukki shone a bright red. Ever since then, I never missed an opportunity to spend time with him, as I was the happiest whenever I was in his company. 

I watched as the sun lowered along the skyline, embracing the stratosphere in a gorgeous purple and orange glow. I tucked my hands into my pocket, the breeze nipping against my skin. I loved winter, but the cold was definitely the worst part. Small puffs of air exhaled from my lungs, encasing my vision in a quick cloudy mist before disappearing.

-

"Hey, guys! Hungry?" Akiteru greeted us at the kitchen counter, leaning on his hands as the aroma of something savory hung in the air. Kei fixed his glasses, turning away to his bedroom and shaking his head. 

"Not right now. Maybe later."

Without a response from his brother, he walked away and shut the door behind him, leaving us both in the silence and the boiling pot on the stove. I smiled at Akiteru, fixing my bag before following right behind Tsukki. His room was dim, piles of work stacked on his desk. He always was working on something, whether it was the weekend or not, making it obvious why his grades were so good. 

Flipping on the light switch to see him laying on his bed, scrolling through his phone, I walked quietly, laying back down on the bed. Up above us were hundreds of glow-in-the-dark stars, and I remembered back to that day we put them on when we were little.

-

"Tsukki! Look how cool these are!" I shouted, ogling over the little stars that came in a package at the store. I was spending the weekend with Tsukki, and his mom decided to take us shopping with her. Tsukki picked up a pack, examining the contents inside before grabbing two more and moving over to his mom's cart. While they were talking, I studied the walls of room decor, imagining all the things I could do with Tsukki. I wanted to make so many memories with him.

"Come on Yamaguchi."

Snapping out of my thoughts, I followed Tsukki and his mom to the checkout, watching the lady swipe the stars, my heart lighting up with excitement. 

As soon as we were back home, I quickly grabbed the packs from the bag and ran to Tsukki's room, ripping them open. 

"Calm down, Yamaguchi."

I turned to face him, giving a bright smile.

"Sorry, Tsukki."

After waiting for him to get himself situated on the bed, I handed him the stars, spilling them all out in his palms. I got in the bed with him, making him almost lose balance from the weight shifting under his feet. I held a hand out for him, making him steady as he took a star and stretched up, pressing it against the roof. 

Sometimes I wished I was as tall as him, I could be able to do so much more, but I always thought his height suited him. Plus, I could watch him do this little task, except it meant the entire world to me. 

Once he got on another star on the roof, I gave him another one, and we stayed there for an hour decorating the roof with what looked like our own little galaxy. 

We both stood next to the bed, peering up above us, and Tsukki moved to the wall, switching off the lights. 

The entire room lit up with bright constellations, blue and yellow colors beaming in my eyes. I stood with my arms closer to Tsukki, trying to make this moment last for as long as possible. 

But it ended all too quickly whenever his mom called us for dinner, fixing us out of our daze. I didn't mind this too much though, because as I looked into his eyes and smiled, I knew I'd get to experience this with him every day. 

\- 

"Yamaguchi." 

I looked over, putting myself back in reality while Tsukki looked at me confused. 

"What's wrong?" 

I shook my head, looking back upwards. 

"Nothing, I was thinking about the day we put those up there." 

He looked up, raising his eyebrows, and looking back down to his lap. 

"It's just a roof." 

I frowned, connecting lines from one star to another. Maybe it was- 

"But it's ours." 

I peeked over in shock to meet his eyes, my expression changing from sadness to glee, grinning brightly, because I knew...

We had the galaxy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was the first day of spring, and I was exhilarated. Cherry blossom petals drifted in the wind as I jogged to meet up with Tsukki after school. Spring was such a beautiful season, in my opinion, air filled with some sense of peace. Not too cold, not too warm, but just right. The trees and flowers were once again in bloom, the atmosphere drenched in sweet smells. 

We both walked along the sidewalk, more cars than usual bombarding the streets. 

"I have something planned for us. Are you up for it?" Tsukki asked, peeking over to me with a smirk. My cheeks lit up, the fact that he was putting effort into something for us making the butterflies in my stomach flutter around. Tsukki was by far my best friend, but he always made more subtle hints that he cared about me, rather than large ones. Of course, I've never once doubted he cared about me, so I never asked him to. 

"Of course I am! What is it?" I reply, bouncing up and down. 

"It's a surprise." 

We both smiled at each other in unison, and I let him lead me to wherever we were going. 

-

The grass was glowing a bright green, the sun hitting it perfectly. Everything was lit up in neon colors. I stood by Tsukki's arm the entire time, watching the little animals scurry around the ground. They were all finally coming out of hibernation, meaning it was louder than usual. I didn't mind this though, because it was actually really comforting. 

As the sidewalk scraped under my feet, Tsukki stopped me by the shoulder, pausing us in front of a gate.

"Close your eyes." 

I turned to him and pouted. 

"Bye whyyy? I wanna see." 

"Don't make me do it for you," he sighed, fixing his glasses. I complied with his request, covering my eyes with one hand and feeling around with the other to make sure I didn't run into anything. He set his hand on my shoulders and lead me around, telling me whenever I needed to turn or step over something.

After almost tripping, much too many times, he finally stopped us in one spot, taking his hand off my shoulders and stood next to me. 

"Alright, you can open now."

I smiled, uncovering my eyes, lighting up at the site. There were a soft, checkered blue and white blanket spread across the grass, a picnic basket set in the middle. I turned to Tsukki, giving him my biggest smile.

"You did this for me?!" I exclaimed, grabbing his arm and looking him in the eyes. He looked at me, obviously trying to hold back a smile.

"No, I did this for myself. I just didn't wanna be alone so I decided to invite you," he said, rolling his eyes. We both smiled, which turned into laughter. I hopped onto the blanket, trying not to ruffle it up too much, and sat on one side. Tsukki moved around and sat across from me, taking the basket in his arms.

"So what'd you bring?" I wiggled in my spot, impatient to find out. He reached both of his hands inside, pulling out a large strawberry shortcake with blue swirls along the side.

"Really? Cake? You have such an addiction," I smirked. He gave me a look before reaching back in. As soon as I saw the box my eyes lit up again, reaching towards them. 

"And you don't have an addiction to french fries. Doesn't look like you're one to talk."

I smiled, taking the box of fries from his hands and staring at them. The yellow and red colors started to blur in my vision, and I peeked back up at him, holding back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes. As he was digging into his cake, he looked at me, concern washing over his expression. 

"What's wrong?" 

With quivering lips, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck. Cradling me in his arms and fixing his glasses, we both locked eyes. 

"You're the best Tsukki," I say, wiping a tear streaking down my cheek.

He adjusted his hands on my back, holding me closer. 

"It's nothing. Just wanted to show you I care about you since I don't much you know...?" He said, avoiding eye contact with me.

"Aww, you're so sweet Tsukki!"

"Shut up, Yamaguchi."

I giggled, staring into his eyes that were glowing into the sunlight. He had little brown speckles that were dotting across his eyes, contrasting with the honey yellow radiating under his glasses. I studied his other features, how his hair just barely swept over his forehead, swaying in the wind. How his glasses always fell down the bridge of his nose, making him adjust them all the time. I don't know how long I had been staring at him when he turned back to me, a bird chirping in the distance, breaking the silence.

My eyes fell on his lips, they looked so soft and pink, and I don't think I've ever wanted to kiss him more than I did right now.

What do you taste like Tsukki? 

I bet he tasted like cake or even that little pleasant sweetness left on your tongue after eating strawberries. He ate so much of it that I wouldn't be surprised. The thought made me smile, Tsukki looking at me with one eyebrow raised. 

"What's so funny?"

I snapped out of my daydreaming, looking away from him, trying to hide my blushing cheeks in his chest.

"N-nothing."

"You sure about that?"

I replied with a hesitant nod, face heating up more at the feeling of his hands moving up my back. He lifted my face up by my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes.

"No one smiles for no reason Yamaguchi," he said, smirking at me. He kept inching forward, my face glowing a bright crimson shade. I wanted to lean in, to connect our lips right then and there, but my anxiety was holding me back. I could swear everyone and everything was paused in time, heart racing in my chest. 

Once I saw him close his eyes, I closed mine too, letting whatever was going to happen, happen.

I squeezed my eyes tighter at him just barely pulling down my bottom lip, allowing our mouths to combine perfectly. His soft lips radiated on mine, gentle at first but slowly more passion was added, leaning deeper to the others' touch. He moved his hands to my hair, pushing my head in to make sure all the gaps were closed. 

As he began to pull away, I leaned in just a little more, wanting just a few more seconds of feeling him. I could feel his lips on mine for hours and never get tired of it. But, of course, it didn't last. He adjusted his glasses once more, looking back over to the food.

"Shall we eat now?"

I smiled, cheeks still tinted pink, giving him a cheerful nod.

I suppose I was wrong then. He didn't taste like cake, or strawberries, or anything sweet like that. 

No, he tasted like lemons and oranges, and fresh green apples. 

He tasted like Tsukki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crap. I'm late. Late late late late. I'm the captain of our volleyball team now and I was going to be delayed my first day! I groaned out loud, sprinting down the street. Stupid Tadashi. This is why I should wake up to my alarm the first time!

-

"Well well well, looks like someone is finally here," Kageyama said as I stepped through the gym door, hands on my knees and panting.

"I'm so-" I said in between breaths, "-so sorry. I'm here now. What a terrible captain I am huh?"

I laughed, moving over to the new first years on the team. They had been working on their serves a lot, and I patted one on the shoulder, encouraging him. 

"Alright, guys!" I exclaimed, looking over to Tsukki. His long hair fell over his forehead now after letting it grow out over the years. He had even got new glasses, ones that fit his face better. I think I ended up making fun of him for it so much he had enough. I smiled at him, looking back over to the team. My team.

It made my heart melt. I think my confidence had grown a lot more over the years, and I couldn't ask for a better team to have given that to me. 

"Let's get to practice!"

Everyone collectively smiled, nodding and running to get set up.

-

"I think we're doing really good huh Tsukki!? The first years are really talented."

"Yeah, but they're still annoying."

I nudged his arm jokingly, receiving a smug grin back. We had been dating for two years now, and I can't say that I've ever been happier. After we had gone home when the picnic was over, I immediately texted him, asking about our relationship.

Okay, well, not exactly asked him. I was a train wreck the entire rest of the day, panicking about what we really were. I mean, of course, we'd be dating right? People don't just kiss their best friends. But he had never clarified or asked me out, and just that little thing enough to stir up the anxiety in me.

I chuckled, remembering that night. I was so much more confused back then. My nerves haven't gone away completely, but they've definitely eased up as I became more self-aware of myself and my feelings, slowly accepting myself more. 

Tsukki nudged my arm back, making me stumble over my own feet. As I went to go, push him again but harder, he pulled away, making me fall into his arms. He stood me back up and laughed, wrapping an arm around my neck as we stood side by side. I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head in his coat as we walked to his place.

Akiteru was off living somewhere else now, meaning he didn't visit as much anymore. Although I didn't think I would, I missed him a lot. He always made the best jokes and food, lightening the mood whenever I was sad. Maybe I could text him later. 

He led us to his room, both of us plopping down on the bed in each other's arms after putting our things away. He tucked his hands up my shirt, cold fingers running up and down my back, making me shiver and blush at the same time. After tucking my head into his chest and bringing his blanket over us, I intertwined our legs, my exhaustion from day finally hitting me like a brick. Encased in his warmth, my heavy eyes slowly started to fall, begging to let me rest. But, I just wanted this moment to last a little longer, to feel his body against mine as our breathing synced. 

"Hey Tadashi," Tsukki said in a whisper, starling me. I recollected myself, turning my head to see him better. 

"Yeah?" 

He smiled, putting his nose to mine. 

"I love you." 

The little comment made me flustered, pink tints washing over my completion as I tried to hold back a grin. 

"I love you too, Tsukki." 

"You know you can call me Kei right?" 

He was right, I could. There was no reason for us to not be on a first-name basis, since we've known each other almost our entire lives, but it just didn't feel right to me. 

"I know, but I like Tsukki better. It's something only I call you, something special to the both of us." 

He sighed and closed his eyes, giving me little kisses on my cheeks and lips, making me giggle. 

The sun was setting out the window, the room slowly dimming with our access of light disappearing, making us both much more sleepy. As the rise and falls of our chests eased with our tired demeanor, we slowly fell asleep, arms cradled in each other. 

-

"Come on. Just let us sleep for a little while longer." Tsukki whined, pulling the blanket back over him. 

"It was fine because we were irresponsible when we were younger, but I'm the captain now, so I have to be there," I said strictly, looking him in the eyes, "That means get up." 

Tsukki smiled, putting on his glasses. He groaned and rolled out of bed, packing up his things. 

Sometimes I think he's instigating me on purpose. 

-

"Yamaguchi!" Hinata shouts, running over to me, "How are my receives coming along? The first years said I was really good!" 

I turned to him, the shorter boy, whose hair had also grown out a lot over the years, was bouncing up and down. As much as he was a handful, I'm glad he never lost that spark. 

"Well, you've definitely improved since your first year. I'd say you're one of the best receivers on this team." 

He exclaimed in glee, walking beside me to class. Tsukki and I had different classes this year, but I didn't mind that too much. I still had the chance to spend lots of time with him. 

-

"Hey, Kageyama!" I spotted him as we were walking to practice, jogging up to meet him. 

"Hey, Tadashi. How are things?" 

Kageyama had gotten a lot more close since our first year, same with Yachi. We hung out a lot more and I counted him as one of my best friends. We were a really good volleyball duo, too. A least, that's what Hinata told me. 

"Things are good, you?" 

"Same here." He slipped his milk straw back into his mouth, smiling at me. I smiled back, walking side by side to the gym. 

Hinata and the other first years were running around in a race, Tsukki leaning against the wall and smirking, Yachi panicking in the corner. Hinata ran under the net, but he got tangled in it, making it almost fall over. I looked over to see Kageyama with clear anger writing on his face, reading to yell at them. I stopped him as he took a step forward, and nodded at him. 

As Hinata tried to untangle from the nets, I sat a hand on his shoulder, the room going silent. The first years, which were in clear shock, scooted away from us slowly. Hinata, looking like he saw a ghost, tried giving an apologetic smile, releasing one hand from the net. 

Glaring daggers into his eyes and making him shudder, he ran away from me, grabbing the balls from the storage room. I tried to hold back laughter, attempting to keep up my orderly appearance. 

But, I'm so ready to go places with this team. I'm going to take them to the national stage, I promise. 

Tsukki walked over behind me, placing his arms on my shoulders. 

...

"Do you think we can do it, Tsukki?" 

He paused, fiddling with his fingers in front of me. 

"Of course, I believe in you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Graduation was a lot scarier than I had thought it was going to be.

We sat in our seats, me, Kageyama, Hinata, Yachi, and Tsukki huddled up together and shaking with nervousness yet excitement. This is where our high school lives and where our lives start. 

Each person stepped on the stage upon their name being called, taking their graduation certificate. The principal was nearing Tsukki's name, and I held his hand ready to cheer him on. Out of us five, he seemed the least enthusiastic, but I could see the glimmer in his eyes. I knew he was just as excited to be an adult as the rest of us. 

"Kei Tsukishima." 

I gripped his hand tighter, nudging him to get up. He sighed and stood, making his way through the crowd of restless students, dodging their feet. I waved at him as he walked up on stage, shaking the principal's hand and bowing towards us. 

Once he was back in his seat I ruffled up his hair, giving him a big smile. 

"It's not that big of a deal, Tadashi." 

I rolled my eyes, wrapping my arm in his. 

"You can't fool me Tsukki, I know you're ready to be out of high school and finally start growing up. You're gonna do so much. I know you will." 

Tsukki tucked his lips together, avoiding eye contact to hide the little pink tones across his cheeks. I giggled, setting my head on his shoulder. 

More students were called up, followed by more cheering and yelling. I was bouncing my leg the entire time as they got through the W's and X's, and I knew they were slowly nearing my name. I waited for it with every name being called, just thinking

'Mine is next. Mine is next." Over and over. 

"Tadashi Yamaguchi." 

I tended in my seat, Hinata shoving me up to go. I stumbled through the messes of legs and feet, making sure I didn't fall or step on anyone. I knew everyone's eyes were on me, heart racing at how slow time was moving. Did everyone else take this long? 

I stepped up the steps slowly, praying I wouldn't trip. I would be so embarrassed, I'd never wanna show my face to anyone here again. I inched closer to the principal, reaching out to take my certificate. He shook my hand, and we both nodded at each other, turning to the audience. There were so many people, and they were all paying attention to me. 

I spotted Hinatas ginger hair bouncing up and down in the audience, his arm waving his cap around in the air. I could hear his faint calls out to me. 

"Yeaaahh! Go, Yamaguchi!"

I smiled, my face turning red. I peeked over to Tsukki, a smile spread across his face. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes, but I couldn't cry now. Not yet.

I made my way back through the audience and to my seat to be met by hands in my hair, all of us praising each other. 

My nerves had calmed down a lot more now, holding Tsukki's hand tight as we watching the rest of the students be called up. 

-

The night air felt beautiful, summer breezes flowing through my hair. All five of us were walking together to our houses one last time. Me and Tsukki turned to the other three, all of us stopping on the sidewalk. I could tell Hinatas eyes were misty, even in the dark. 

I went to open my mouth to speak, but the words choked as they came out. 

"Thank- thank you for being my teammates and friends," I inhaled, shaky tears falling down my cheeks, "and I hope we all visit each other again." 

Kageyama looked down, fists clutched and shaking. Hinata launched himself in my arms, holding me tight as I wrapped my arms around his head, messing up his hair that he fixed up this morning. 

"Thank you for being the best captain and friend Yamaguchi! I don't wanna leave you guys just yet. Even you Kageyama. What am I going to do without my volleyball twin?" Hinata chocked out, hiccups filing the night air. 

Kageyama slowly walked over, wrapping his arms around the both of us, quite sobs escaping the stoic boy's body. 

"Don't b-be a dumbass. This isn't for-forever," he gasped, a little chuckle making its way out. I held them tighter to me, not wanting to let go. I held a hand out for Yachi to join us, just as many tears falling down her cheeks and dampening her hair. I know it was the same situation as when the third and second years graduated, but this felt different. These people were my friends, my family. 

I turned my head to Tsukki who was staring at the road, shuffling his feet on the ground. 

"Come on Tsukishima. Say something. Th-this is your last chance," Kageyama said, adjusting his grip on us. 

Silence and little cries filled the air, all four of us eyeing Tsukki. 

"I'm afraid..." he started, looking down, "I'm afraid if I say something...I'll start crying too." 

I could hear Hinatas heart giggle from under both of us, changing the tension. 

"Thank you guys for the past three years...I actually mean it this time." 

"Tsukki..." 

I smiled, trying to halt the thunderstorms of tears soaking my cheeks and clothes. 

"Look at that, Suckyshima being all sappy," Hinata said muffled. 

"I will take it all back right now," he said, making us all three laugh. 

Me and Kageyama let go, separating apart into our two groups. We all locked eyes for a couple of seconds, lips beginning to quiver again. As me and Tsukki began down the sidewalk, Hinata waved us off, jumping up and down. I gave him a little wave, giving a thumbs up to Yachi and Kageyama. 

"Don't let him get into too much trouble." 

Yachi laughed, nudging Hinatas side. 

"Don't worry 'Dashi, we'll take care of him." 

I smiled at her, turning away with Tsukki. I could hear Hinatas shouts from her comment, making me giggle. I took my hand in Tsukki's, leaning onto his arm. 

"What are you planning to do now?" 

This was something I had thought about a lot, my nerves constantly beating at me to get my life planned out, but it took so long to find out what I really wanted.

"I kinda wanna keep playing volleyball." 

I stopped, looking him in the eyes. Those were words I had never thought I'd hear Tsukki say. He always made me believe it wasn't as important to him, but I suppose I misread him.

"Really?" 

"Yeah, I know it's weird, but I actually kind of like it. Are you not? You're definitely good enough at it, and you always seemed to love it." 

"I do but...I wanna focus on my schooling and university. I'll keep playing it for fun, but it's not something I wanna make a career out of." 

Tsukki nodded, peering around the street. 

"Move in with me." 

"W-what!?" I gasped again, this night filling me with surprises. 

"I mean it, I wanna live with you Tadashi." 

I smiled, tears threatening to spill from my eyes once again. I locked myself in his arms.

"I wanna live with you too Tsukki. Let's be together forever." 

"Forever huh? I don't know if we can live that long, but I'll still be with you as long as I'm alive." 

"We can live forever, just the two of us. Unless you're gonna die without me," I pouted jokingly, rubbing my cheeks on his chest. 

"Of course I'm not. Forever it is, then." 

"Forever it is."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why is this so expensive?! I shouldn't have to pay that much for a dang dishwasher!" 

After we graduated, Tsukki and I began planning out our future together with the help of Akiteru and his mom. He ended up working at his first job in a museum, but he seemed to love it so much he never decided to quit, getting raises over the years. Once we were financially stable, we began looking for houses, starting off small and working our way up. 

I was currently working at an electronics company. Although I didn't expect it, I loved it too and it suited me really well. I had worked many part-time jobs over the years, doing my best to catch up to Tsukki, but it always ended badly. This company really was a change of pace.

"We can find another one somewhere else. Don't worry about it Tadashi." 

I sighed, compiling and walking out of the store. Tsukki told me I was always being dramatic, trying to get everything situated too fast. And, I can admit, maybe I was. I tried to convince myself to start relaxing and stop worrying. It would be much easier for me and Tsukki. 

I threw my things on the counter, sighing in exhaustion. We had been driving around all day, and I was finally glad to be home. Running my fingers across the marble countertop, I examined the room. Once we got it I did my best to make it suit us more, me and Tsukki decorating it for nights. We had even placed stars on the roof of our bedroom like we did when we were younger. Yet now, I could see them every night, with the person I love in my arms. 

Tsukki moves over to the counters with me, grabbing my waist and setting me up on it. I sat my arms across his shoulders, shifting around on the cold countertop. He gave me a little side smile, kissing my cheeks. 

"So," he started, raising an eyebrow, "you wanna tell me what's wrong?" 

I frowned, tightening my grip on him. 

"Nothing's wrong." 

"Come on. I can see it all over your face," he said, cupping my cheeks in his hands. I leaned into his touch, sighing. 

"It's just...do things feel right?" 

He gave me a confused look. "Of course they do, do you not think so?" 

"No no! I do, believe me. I just want things to be perfect. I get so anxious sometimes..." 

"Tadashi, things are perfect. You're perfect. Okay? Stop worrying, and if you won't do it for yourself, do it for me." 

I nodded, putting my hands on top of his, connecting our fingers. He leaned into me, meeting his lips with mine and holding them there. Moving his hands down to my waist to pull me in, I wrapped my arms around his neck, letting him pick me up. 

He carried me to our room, lips still connected and passion radiating throughout the home. 

Our home.

-

"Tadashi! How are you doing?! It's been so long. Hitoka told me about you can Tsukishima moving in together! That's so cool!" Hinata shouted on the other end of the phone. It had been a couple of months since I had heard from him. I saw him on TV one day and immediately asked Tsukki to find his number since they were both in the volleyball world. I rang him up, tempted to cry at hearing his voice again. 

"We're doing good, thank you for asking. Tsukki is at a meet right now. How's volleyball going for you?" 

"It's great! I've improved so much since high school and my team is so talented. I've gotten to travel the world and everything!" He shouted, making me just barely pull the phone away from my ear in laughter. 

"I'm glad to hear that Shoyo. Sounds like things are going great for you. This is exactly what you wanted." 

"It's better than what I wanted! I- what?!...... Sorry, Tadashi, I have to go, my team wants us to do warm-ups. I'll talk to you later alright?" 

"Alright, talk later Shoyo." 

Once I heard the click of the phone, I checked the time. 5 pm. Tsukki should be coming home in an hour. 

I was planning for us to have a date night here, and I was gonna cook for him. I wasn't exactly sure what yet, but it was gonna be perfect. 

I cleaned up the kitchen and living room, got out all of the cooking supplies. Let's do this. 

-

Tapping my foot on the ground, I peeked back over to the clock and bit at my nails. Its was ten at night and Tsukki still hadn't come home yet. Four hours had passed with me sitting at the kitchen table, the food I had prepared now cold and gross, unable to be eaten. I stared at the door while sitting on the arm of the couch. I had texted and called him so many times, yet I hadn't gotten a single reply back. 

With the anxiety in me building up, I hopped up and the sound of keys jangling from outside of the door. 

Tsukki stepped through, fixing his glasses. 

"Do you know how worried I was?! Where were you?" I cried, stepping forward. He took of his jacket, avoiding eyes with me. 

"Calm down Tadashi. Let me explain." 

"Don't tell me to calm down. That's impossible right now. You better." 

He stepped over to me, laying his hands on my shoulders and looking into my eyes. 

"Don't be mad at me, okay?"

Tears streaked down my cheeks, heart racing, as I was completely unprepared for whatever he was about to say. 

"Tadashi. These past few years I've spent living with you have been the best of my entire life." 

I smiled, yet still weary. 

"And you know I love you a lot. I always will." 

"Tsukki."

My hands were shaking. Why did this feel like he was breaking up with me?

"But I don't want to date anymore." 

I looked into his honey eyes and broke down. Shoving my face into my hands, I sobbed, my face and throat burning. 

"Why? W-what did I do wr-wrong Tsukki?" I begged, my legs tempted to give out right there. 

"You didn't let me finish. Look at me, stop crying." 

He lifted my head up to look at him, body trembling at his touch, the one I was never gonna feel again. I blinked out more tears, not caring that I was drenching his hand. 

He reached into his pocket and began to kneel down. 

"What- what are you doing? Tsukki?!" 

Pulling his hand from his pocket, a ring glowed in between his fingers, more tears running down my perplexed features. 

"I don't wanna date anymore because I want to marry you, Tadashi. So, I'll ask the question I've been wanting to ask since I moved in with you. Will you marry me?" 

Frantic nods escaped me, chuckling sobs leaving my throat, hands shaking as he slipped on the ring. He scooped me up in his arms by my waist and I wrapped my legs around him, holding him close. He leaned us back on the couch, getting on top of me and smothering me in kisses across my wet face. 

"I'm sorry for worrying you." 

I smiled, looking into his eyes, which were misty with tears. 

"I suppose it was worth it. You still are paying for all that food I wasted on making you." 

He chuckled, giving me Eskimo kisses. 

"I bought you an 800 dollar ring. I think that pays for that plenty." 

I tucked my head in his neck, burying my face against his soft skin. 

"Yeah, you're right." 

He played with my hair, swirling locks around his fingers. 

I was going to marry him, the person I love most in this entire world. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Planning a wedding was much, much harder than I thought it would be. 

The amount of arguing we had done in the past hour was hysterical and definitely overdramatic, but eventually, we came to a mutual agreement. I even got Hitoka and Shoyo to help us plan, so there would be some things that were a surprise. Whenever I told Hitoka she broke down and cried, saying that she always knew this was inevitable. God, I love her. 

Tsukki laid in our bed and went over the schedule and venue, making sure everything was perfect while I sat on the phone with the shops to pre-order the decorations. We came to the conclusion we would get married next summer, exactly one year from now. I had a giant grin across my face the entire time, thinking about how I really was going to marry him. I couldn't wait. 

"'Dashi!" 

I whipped around to see Hitoka out of breath with a phone in her hands. 

"I got...the venue...booked..." she smiled, waving the phone around in exhaustion. I grinned, hugging her tightly. 

I peeked over to see Tsukki who was jotting down numbers, mostly costs of everything we needed. He was much better at math than me, so I let him deal with that while I dealt with arrangements. He smiled, rubbing his cheek which left a marker streak across it, making me laugh. 

-

"Afternoon Tadashi. How was work today?" Tsukki said as I walked through the door, so exhausted I collapsed on the couch in his arms. 

"So annoying. Some jerk kept making a scene and we had to kick him out, but he would just keep coming back until we had no choice but to call the police." 

He hummed in response, rubbing up and down my back. 

"I just wanna lay here with you all day." 

"I don't see why you can't," he chuckled, twisting us around to where we were almost completely devoured in the cushions, heated by our bodies and the material. 

I ended up passing outright as soon as we relaxed, letting my subconscious take over. 

When I woke back up Tsukki was still peacefully sleeping in my arms, glasses messed upon his face. I gently took them off for him, peeking at the time. We had been asleep for hours now, sweaty and warm from the lack of space between us. But I didn't mind, because he always held me so tight like I'd disappear if he let go. 

I wanna be in his arms forever.

-

"Guys! Wake up!" 

Me and Tsukki were both startled awake by Hitoka shaking us, her bright blond hair bouncing in a bun. 

"Is something wrong??" I ask, sitting up quickly. Tsukki put on his glasses, adjusting on the couch. 

"Please don't tell me something bad happened to the wedding plans..."

She looked confused for a second, then covered her mouth in shock. 

"Oh no of course not! I was just on the call with the flower company and they wanted to know what flower vases you want. I'm so sorry!" She whined, bowing down. 

Tsukki and I looked at each other and then back at her, holding back our laughter. 

"Hitoka-chan! You can't worry us like that!" I exclaim, bending over in hearty laughs. Tsukki rubbed his eyes from still being woken up, smiling from ear to ear in amusement. Hitoka bowed down over and over again, apologizing repeatedly. 

"Hitoka calm down, it's okay. We're not upset at you," Tsukki said, setting a hand on her shoulder to stop her. 

She sighed, handing us the phone with the flower company messages. 

Tsukki scrolled through the dozens of vases, all different colors, and sizes. We went on white lilies and dark pink cherry blossoms for the flowers, so he looked through the pots that were a darker color. 

We both paused on one vase at the same time, locking eyes on it and then each other. It was dark blue, with little white stars spread across the bottom. We both nodded, clicking on the option and handing the phone back to Hitoka. She smiled, leaving back to meet with Shoyo. 

I stood up, looking around the kitchen for something to eat since I had barely eaten all day long. 

Tsukki stood behind me, wrapping his arms around me and setting his head on my shoulder. I leaned back to meet his face, rubbing our cheeks together. We swayed in the kitchen, even if there was no music playing. 

"I can't wait to marry you. I just wanna do it right now," he said, making me blush. 

"Me too. I still can't believe it," I admit, moving a hand to the other side of his cheek. We continued swaying, feet moving perfectly in sync with each other. 

He hummed in my ear, rubbing fingers along the sides of my waist and stomach. I know I should be used to it by now, but it always made me flustered. Just his touch made me shiver and go red, as it was so gentle and my favorite feeling in the world. 

I just want to feel it forever. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Shoyo was running around, trying to make sure everything was set up perfectly. I was happy he was so fast and energetic because without him I'd be doing this for days. Two days from now was my and Tsukki's wedding, and my nerves and excitement were definitely getting to me. I was so giddy, just imagining him up there in that suit. I rehearsed my vows every night to make sure they were perfect, adjusting everything I didn't think sounded right. 

Hitoka-chan helped me with my suit too. I decided on the white one, while Tsukki would wear the black one. My eyes lit up whenever I first saw it, and she told me it looked really good on me whenever I tried it out. 

I asked her to be my bridesmaid, as she's been one of my best friends for so long, and I asked Tobio to be my groomsman. I tried convincing Tsukki for so long to make Shoyo his groomsman, but he kept denying me of it. He ended up going with Akiteru and after months and months of begging him, he decided to ask Shoyo, being met by a bouncy ball of excitement. 

Things were finally set in place, and it was perfect. We decided the wedding venue was going to be held in this beautiful wooden building, with holes in the roof, so we could see the stars. I begged Tsukki to let us do it at night so we could get married under the constellations, and he didn't seem to have anything wrong with it. It was so big enough I bet we could have invited hundreds of people, but surprisingly we didn't. 

I only wanted the people who have been there for us our entire lives there, the people who made us who we are. Like my parents and my old teammates, and some of Tsukki's close friends on his team. I also decided to invite Osamu and Asumu, since I was so close with Osamu and I knew his brother would beg to come along. Plus, he was great entertainment. 

"Where do I put this Tadashi?" Shoyo held up a table mat, looking around for the last table that he just couldn't seem to find in the abundance of them. I walked around, looking at all the tables. 

After a couple of minutes, I stopped at one table, which lacked a mat. I waved him over, watching as he sprinted over and placed it on. 

Tsukki walked in, looking around the room. I ran over to him and his arms, examining the almost finished vacancy and smiling. There wasn't enough I could do to express my excitement about it. I'm gonna be so sad whenever it's over. 

"It's looking really good," He said, shaking my arm and adjusting some things on the table in front of us. Tobio followed in with Hitoka, bundles of flowers and pots set up on a cart. They started to get them all set up, and we joined in, enthusiasm radiating in the air. 

-

"This is our last night together before our wedding. I'm so excited," I said, holding Tsukki close in our bed, limbs tangled together. We had decided the day before our wedding I'd be staying at Tobio's place, so the next day everything would be a surprise when we saw each other. 

"I know. I just wanna marry you right now. Screw everyone else, I got my vows memorized," he joked, running fingers through my hair. My eyes were begging me to give out, but I just wanted to spend these last few moments together before the biggest day of my life, of our lives. 

He pulled our blankets over us, tucking my head under his chin. I pulled my hands in, snuggling up to him like I was a baby again. 

Despite being so 'skinny' as everyone says, Tsukki was the warmest person ever, his heat making me relax in even the most stressful situations. 

-

"Come on dude, you look great!" 

Tobio was trying to hype me up, but I was seriously panicking. 

"I know I know, it's not that. I'm just so worried everything will go wrong and arg!"

He took me by the shoulders and shook me around, snapping me from my thoughts. 

"Listen, things are going to be great you hear me? Trust me. I'm not great when it comes to...relationships...or anything like that, but I know you and Shittyshima are perfect for each other...or something like that. Whatever just stop stressing okay? You're even worrying me out," he said, moving his hands off of my shoulders and sitting back down. 

His attempts at making me feel better were terrible, but for some reason, it really did calm me down. Probably his idiocy being a comedic relief, but I was very glad he was here with me right now.

We ended up sitting at his house until 9 pm rolled around, and it was time to go. We hopped in his car, a bundle of flowers tightly gripped in my hands. I was sweating heavily, my heart racing the entire car ride there.

Once we got there, we went around the back into the guest room where I'd be walking out of, meeting my mom in there. She smiled at me, holding back tears.

"Look how beautiful you are. My baby is all grown up."

I hugged her, now the tears begging to spill from my own eyes. 

"I'm so proud of you Tadashi. I knew you'd great things in life."

Holding her tight in my arms, I began sobbing, her following right along with me.

"Th-thanks mom. Thank you for being here for m-me." 

Hitoka barged into the room, a clipboard and microphone on her, out of breath.

"We're almost ready. Get prepped up guys."

Tobio waved me off, leaving for the front stage, fixing his bowtie. I ran around to get my flowers and accessories on, listening to the crowd of people outside of the door separating us.

Separating me and Tsukki.

It just a little bit, I would officially be Tadashi Tsukishima. 

My mother and I stood outside the curtain, arms wrapped in the other and my heart racing. We waited for what felt like forever before we heard the music start, taking in a deep breath. 

"Let's do this."

I stepped through the curtain, all eyes falling on me. I tried not to pay attention, a smile plastered across my face at finally seeing Tsukki again. He looked so damn handsome in his suit, I just wanted to run into his arms right now.

But I kept going, syncing my footsteps with my mom. The lanterns along the walls and roof lit up the room with yellow and orange tints, the moon and stars shining brightly above us. There were already flower petals laid out on the floor for me, but for some reason, I didn't want to step on them. They were just so pretty. 

My mom let go of my arm as we neared Tsukki and the others, letting me continue the rest of the way by myself. I smiled, only picking up the pace just a little bit, wanted to reach him and hold him faster.

I stepped up the steps, waving at Tobio and Hikota, her face wet a puffy from crying. She smiled at me and curtsied, raising her beautiful dress at the corners. I finally stood in front of Tsukki to see his teary eyes behind his glasses, arms tucked together with his vows in his hands. I peeked behind him to Shoyo and Akiteru, giving them a small grin before bringing my attention back to Tsukki. 

The preacher sat his hands on our shoulders, smiling at us. 

"Now, as you've requested, this won't be a traditional wedding, so I will let you have free range of what you'd like to say. But, must I say, you both look amazing today, and I'm more than happy to be here to marry you guys today."

We nodded and thanked him, turning back to look in the eyes of each other. Tsukki cleared his throat, bringing his vows up to read for a couple of seconds.

"Tadashi Yamaguchi. I can't tell you how happy I am to be standing here in front of you today, to see your dark almond eyes peering back at me in a suit and in front of an audience. It's so unreal. I probably don't look it, but I am at my happiest right now. I promise, for the rest of my life, I will never ever stop loving you, and only you. There is only one person on this earth for me, and he's standing right here, green hair, freckles and all."

My lips quivered, small tears streaking down the cheeks that were burning with my gigantic smile. I tried to adjust myself, bringing mine to my eyes. They were smudged from so much erasing, but I didn't even need them, because I had remembered every word, front, and back.

"Tsukki, my one, and only Tsukki. I don't think I've ever properly thanked you for saving me that day. You're probably wondering what day I'm talking about because it wasn't something that was very important to you, but the day on that playground you defended me from those bullies I knew I'd love you. I would love every single part of you, flaws and all. I can't say how grateful I am for your existence in words, but I hope to be able to express that the rest of my life with you."

As the sniffles filled the audience and stage, Tsukki wiped the tears from his cheeks, fixing his foggy glasses. We both tucked away our vows, and I could see Akiteru in the back trying to collect himself, making me giggle quietly. 

Hitoka stood next to us with the rings, and we both took them off, slipping on each other's shaky fingers. 

Normally, we'd say 'I do' but we had already agreed to that long ago. There was nothing changed in our mindsets right now. 

"Well, there we are folks. I think that perfectly sums up these two's love for each other, don't you say?"

Everyone cheered, clapping their hands and throwing flowers around. 

"Suppose so," he said with a laugh, "To end this off, Tadashi Tsukishima and Kei Tsukishima, you may now...kiss the groom."

Tsukki took my face in his hands, pulling me in and immediately connecting our mouths.

I had kissed him, hundreds, thousands of times, but this, right now, was completely different. Cheers filled the room, but I blocked them all out, the only thing here right now was me and him, our lips under the stars joining with the fact we were now each others for the rest of ours lives.

As our lips disconnected, I watched as Hitoka and the rest of the others ran out to hug the people in the audience, tears, and sobs filling the cheerful air once again. 

"Throw the bouquet!" someone shouted, causing laughter. I grabbed the flowers from the table next to me, turning around and looking at Tsukki in the eyes before throwing them backward. I didn't even care enough to see who caught it, putting myself right back in Tsukki's arms, kissing him once again. 

Here he was. My husband.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tadashi! Where did you go?" Tsukki yelled, making his way into the room. 

I was unpacking our things, folding our clothes up into our dresser. Today marks the one-year anniversary of our marriage. We had finally moved into our new house and the final one at that. After Tsukki got a big promotion in his job, we immediately took the opportunity to get into a completely stable home. 

"I'm here Tsukki. Still trying to get used to the directions?" I chuckle, placing a shirt into a drawer.

"Yeah, it's hella confusing. I finished putting up the things for the kitchen," he replied, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind while I grabbed another shirt from our suitcase. 

"I'm so happy. Things are going better than I was expecting."

"That's because you're a worrywart. Just let things go how they're gonna go," he laughed, turning me around to face him, "What do you wanna do today?"

I thought for a second, imagining all the date possibilities we could go on. 

"I don't know. We could go out to eat and maybe see the summer lights afterward. How does that sound?" 

He hummed, swaying us around the room. 

"As long as it's with you I know it'll be great. I would love to."

I blushed, tucking my face into his chest as we danced silently around the room. 

-

"They're a little booked right now. Would you like to come back later?"

I stared at the restaurant full of people, laughing and having fun. I heard this was the best food place in town, but it was such a disappointment it happened to be full the day of our anniversary.

"I suppose we have no choice."

"Alrighty, take this buzzer. Whenever it buzzes it means that a table is free." 

We both nodded, leaving the restaurant and walking down the sidewalk of the mall. The summertime lights were so pretty, illuminating our walkway, reflections shining in our eyes. I took Tsukki's hand in mine, leaning a head on his shoulder. 

"It's been a while since I've been here."

"Yeah, when was the last time we were? Back in high school with King and Ginger right? They pretty much forced us to go."

I laughed, remembering that night. 

"Yeah, but it was fun. You can't say they're not entertaining to hand out with."

He stayed silent, signaling towards my clear victory.

Despite so many people being in the restaurant, there was almost no one outside, meaning we had this night to ourselves. With the flickering stars and moon accompanying us, I ran down the sidewalk, feeling the summertime breeze against my cheeks. Turning back to Tsukki and laughing, I took his hand in mine, dashing with his down the concrete ground, not a single care in the world. He caught up to me, releasing our hands and throwing both of our arms outwards, hollering into the depths of the night.

We ran until we were out of breath and collapsed on the ground, huffing from exhaustion. I looked over at the bright light next to me coming from a store, a little couples necklace on display. Instantly regaining myself, I moved over to study it, pointing to it and looking over at Tsukki.

"Can we get one? Please?" I pouted, displaying it with my hands.

He squinted his eyes, studying the details of the pendants. 

"You're not gonna let me say no huh?"

I smiled, shaking my head. He sighed motioning towards to door. I giggled, making my way inside. 

I quickly hopped up to the front desk, getting the man at the bar's attention.

"Excuse me, can I please get one of those couples necklaces in the window display?"

He nodded, unlocking a little cabinet and pulling out a box, opening it to show the silver and gold chain and half a heart necklace. There was one on the other side, one for Tsukki.

"That'll be 50 dollars."

I pulled out my wallet, digging around all the dollar bills, and handing it to him, taking the box of the glass pane. I quickly took the jewels out, swirling my finger around at Tsukki so he would turn around. 

I wrapped it around his neck, hooking up, and then handed him the other one so he could do the same for me. Suddenly, I felt the buzzer going off in my pocket, pulling it out to show Tsukki. 

"Crap, we're going to be late! Tsukki!" 

He took it from my hands, staring at it before setting it on the glass pane on the front desk. 

"Could you give this back to the restaurant down the street for me?" 

The man nodded, and Tsukki laid a hand on my back, leading me out of the shop.

"But what about our date?"

"Don't worry about it. I've had a change of plans. I'm going to take you on a late-night drive."

"Really?! Cool!"

He nodded, leading us to the car so we could enjoy the rest of our night.

With our little connecting heart chains, I got to end another year with him showing my love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stepped from the car, a bouquet of flowers in my hands. I had decided to visit Tsukki today and leave them for him. As I walked across the grass, I peered around at the little plants growing around, autumn leaves covering them up, leaving the ground in a brown-green-orange array.

I steered my way around until I reached the little vase sitting on a little cobblestone head which read in giant engraved letters;

Kei Tsukishima

Beloved Husband and Son

Sept. 27, 1996 - Oct. 5, 2029

TW~~~~~~~~~~~FLASHBACK~~~~~~~~~TW

"Don't worry about it. I've had a change of plans. I'm going to take you on a late-night drive."

"Really?! Cool!"

He nodded, leading us to the car so we could enjoy the rest of our night. 

"Where are we gonna drive to?"

Tsukki started the car, pulling out of the parking lot and heading onto the road.

"Nowhere, just wherever the journey leads us," He said, turning to me with a smile. 

I stuck my head out of the window, feeling the breeze blow around my hair across my forehead and behind me, gusts cooling down my face with my laughter. 

I put my head back in, rubbing my teary eyes and smiling at Tsukki. He stared ahead of us, turning down the highway where we were now traveling along a road which I had never been on, one that looked almost deserted. He moved one hand outside the window, letting the force of the wind push it and snap it back forward. I laughed, giddy in my seat.

"Thank you, Tsukki. I love you so much. This is the best anniversary ever."

"Oh, every year I'm going to make each one better than the last, just you wait," he laughed, turning to face me. 

I leaned my head forward, waiting for him to do the same before connecting our lips, taking his face in my hands. I giggled, moving back and staring into his eyes. 

But, there was a strange glow on his face, one that wasn't there before. I think he had noticed it on me too, because his face twisted with confusion, then fear.

We both turned forward at the same time, the headlights blinding in my eyes.

"Tsukki look ou-"

...

I woke up to a sharp pain in my body, my blurry vision making me confused about my surroundings. The events of what had just happened flooded my brain, the collision making itself clear in my memory. 

I looked around, trying to find Tsukki in the driver's seat, but it was empty, the blond not there. I looked down to see where my pain was coming from to see my arm covered in blood, scratches all down it from being met by the glass. 

I grabbed the door handle, not caring enough about my arm, my main focus right now was to find Tsukki, to confirm he was okay. I stepped onto the concrete, the now dark sky apparent, adding to the terrible atmosphere. I looked back to our car, the entire front of it destroyed, most likely unrepairable. I noticed the cracked glass at the windshield, eyes widening in realization.

I looked forward to seeing him laying on the ground, not moving. I ran over, ignoring the pains shooting through my entire body and head, heart racing with excessive fear. I collapsed to my knees, crawling over to him, tears already streaking down my face, the salty liquid making my wounds sting.

"Tsukki. Tsukki, Tsukki please answer me. Please."

I took his body in my arms, blood soaking my entire wardrobe at the touch. I felt around his body for a pulse, frantic hands searching for a sign of life. I paused at his neck, shivering whenever I felt the small heartbeat. 

He just barely opened his eyes to look at me, taking a shaky hand to my cheek. 

"Tadashi. Are you okay?" 

His voice was nothing like how it should have sounded, like it was about to give out any second.

"Of course I am, but look at you. You're going to be okay, I promise. I'm gonna call someone, you're gonna be fine."

"Tadashi..."

"You're gonna be okay! You have to!"

"Tadashi. You're right, look at me. I'm dying and you know it. We both know I'm not going to survive this, so I need you to calm down."

"No! You're not going to die! You can't leave me! Not yet! Not ever!" I yelled, holding his weak body close to me.

"Tadashi, baby, it's going to be okay. You know I love you so much. I'm so proud of you and how far you've come. Everything is going to be okay."

"No...no...stop, you can't leave me."

"I'm not."

"You are!"

"Tadashi. Can I tell you what I love about you?"

I paused, squeezing my eyes shut, trying to collect my breathing, and nodding.

"Well, I love how beautiful you are, like you're gorgeous freckles. And you're so smart and brave, god so much braver than me. I was always jealous of how social you were, how you made friends so well despite your anxiety, and you always over-came it. You've come such a long way since then."

I shook my head, shivering at the cold drops of rain soaking my back. It devoured the ground, clear liquids turning red under us. 

"Please live. Please live Tsukki! Don't die!"

"I love you, Tadashi. More than anyone. You're my true love, my soulmate. Thank you so much for making my life worth living. You gave me more than...more than I could have asked for."

I couldn't tell what were my tears or the rain, my entire body felt cold and weak and helpless.

"I love...I love you too Tsukki..."

He hummed, rubbing his thumb along my cheek. As it started to fall, I held it up there, craving to feel his touch as long as possible. Even when I knew there was no life left to give me that, I cried at him.

"Tsukki...Tsukki! Don't leave me! You said forever! What happened to forever?! Tsukki!" I screamed, pulling his limp body up to mine. He was so chilled, the usual warmth he provided me gone, leaving me cold and lonely on the drenched ground.

"Tsukki..." 

I fell to the ground with him, staying there, praying he would just open his eyes again. I must have laid there for hours, so long the rain finally let down and the sun began to peek over the horizon line. I ran my fingers through his hair one last time, moving out from on top of him to the car. I searched around the seats, finding a shattered yet still useable phone under my seat.

"Hitoka-chan? I need your help."

~~~~~~~~~~~end flashback~~~~~~~~~

As little tears fell across the lilies and cherry blossoms in my hand, I set them in our blue and starred vase, rubbing my fingers along the stone.

"Tsukki? Can I tell you what I love about you?"

I paused, listening to the trees shift in the wind.

"You said I'm brave, but really you're the brave one, always sticking up for me when I couldn't do it myself. I wished I could have half the strength you had. And you tasted like lemons, you know, the sour foods that made lips pucker, but I didn't care because it was my favorite taste in the world. And I loved your humor, how you always made me laugh whenever I wanted to cry and break down, never letting a moment go dim. You always loved me so hard, there wasn't a moment in my life I doubted you were the right person for me, because I knew the day we left the galaxy in our room, that I really would have the one I love,"

I fiddled with the ring on the finger, twisting around the engraving so it was facing me.

"And maybe you weren't mine, but I'm glad I was your forever, Tsukki."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


End file.
